Children
During the last half of each Sunday service, we have Kids’ Sunday School classes for children up to 10 years old.
Nursery facilities are available for little ones under 3 years’ old.
Our philosophy
“Bringing the Heart of the Father to the child and the Heart of the children
to the Father”
The heart of the Father is that He loves His children. We see God’s love
displayed in the person of Jesus, who, despite our spiritual rebellion and
failure, became a human being and lived, died, and rose again in order to
forgive our sin, adopt us into God’s family, transform our lives, and
restore the world he loves.
The purpose of HOPE’s Children’s Ministry is to bring the heart of the
Father to the heart of the child so that they might place their trust in
Jesus, grow in their knowledge and love of God, and live their lives in
grateful response to his grace. Our ministry to children, therefore, is
guided by several key principles.
1. We are convinced that children are a gift from God (Psalm 127.3). God
deeply loves and values our children. When a group of parents tried to
bring their children to Jesus so that he might place his hands upon them and
bless them, his disciples attempted to stop the children from approaching
Jesus because children simply were not valued in that society. Jesus,
however, encouraged the children to come to him. In fact, he claimed that
the kingdom of God belongs especially to children, and he lifted up the
faithful dependence of a child as the model for all believers (Luke
18.16-17). Center of Hope places a special priority on children because they are
dearly loved by God.
2. The promise of the gospel is for our children. When God entered into a
special relationship with Abraham, God made his covenant with Abraham and
Abraham’s children (Genesis 17.7). Today we believe God continues to work
through families. After Jesus established the new covenant through his
life, death, and resurrection in fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, the
Apostle Peter proclaimed that the promise of the gospel is for our children
(Acts 2.39). Children, therefore, not only represent the future of the
church but also play a vital role in the present as members of the covenant
community. We thus regard children as members of the church and strive to
help them grow in their faith, develop their relationship with Jesus, and
live in light of the gospel of His grace.
3. The primary responsibility for the Christian nurture of children lies
with their parents, but this responsibility extends to the entire Christian
community. No one has more influence over the spiritual lives of children
than their parents, and the Apostle Paul accordingly instructs parents to
raise their children in “the training and instruction of the Lord”
(Ephesians 6.4). Nevertheless, the whole corporate body of the church has a
role to play. God calls us as families and as the family of God to teach
our children about him at all times and in everything we do so that they
might share in his promises (Deuteronomy 6.6-9; 11.19-21). In response to
this call, we at HOPE we seek to faithfully immerse our children in Jesus’s
love and teachings.
5 Pillars of Children’s Mministry
1. Children’s Ministry must be God-Centered. This means that in our
teaching, we must emphasize the greatness of God. The Bible is first and
foremost a book about God. We want our children to see how strong and big
and faithful and loving and majestic and smart and satisfying our God is.
Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the
man who takes refuge in him!” This is my prayer for you children this year –
that they would experience God in such a way as to develop a lifelong desire
for him. So when times of trouble come they will take refuge in him.
2. Children’s Ministry must be Bible-saturated. This means that God’s Word
must permeate everything that we do. In 2 Timothy 3:15 Paul reminds Timothy,
“From childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Mere
human works are not enough to guide our children to God – they need the
Bible. Only God’s Word can change hearts.
3. Children’s Ministry must be Gospel-driven. We must be intentional to
proclaim the Gospel to children and their families. Romans 1:16 says, “For I
am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes.” This was the command of Christ in Mark 16:15, “Go
into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
4. Children’s Ministry must minister to the whole family. We recognize that
God has called parents to be the primary faith-nurturers of children.
Therefore, our Children’s Ministry must partner with parents to assist them
in fulfilling this calling.
5. Children’s Ministry is about serving kids. At the end of the day, we are
working to help and serve the children. Our work is to put their ultimate
spiritual needs ahead of our own. Our ministry becomes great as we excel in
service. As Jesus says in Mark 9:35, “If anyone would be first, he must be
last of all and servant of all.”